On June 2, the keel was laid for FREEDOM, the U.S. Navy's first Littoral combat ship (LCS). LCS is a new class of surface combatant, designed to defeat enemy threats in shallow coastal waters. The ship is under construction at Marinette Marine and will be delivered to the Navy in late 2006.

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LCS was designed for coastal waters, providing the Navy with fast, maneuverable and shallow draft ships aimed at maximizing mission flexibility. The ship's first missions will include mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.

The design employs a semi-planing steel monohull, providing agility and high-speed maneuverability, along with sea-keeping characteristics. These characteristics will aid in launch and recovery operations of manned and unmanned vehicles, mission execution and crew comfort. The Lockheed Martin-led team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox, ship builders Marinette Marine, a subsidiary of The Manitowoc Company Inc., and Bollinger Shipyards.